by Lisa Fletcher, Andrea Nejman, and Nathan Aaron - ABC News On Your Side
WASHINGTON (7News) — Kids rely on school meals every day, but almost nothing is known about what's really in school lunches, including invisible ingredients that could harm developing bodies and brains. In a months-long investigation, we tested school lunches and found concerning results, just like the ones that are currently gaining the attention of Congress.
In America’s schools, 30 million lunches are served every day. There are standards in place for things like calories, sodium, and added sugar. The USDA asserts that lunches consumed from schools are the most nutritious.
Almost nothing is known about what's really in school lunches, including invisible ingredients that could harm developing bodies and brains.
In groundbreaking new tests, we sent school lunches to the Health Research Institute, an accredited lab in Iowa, to hunt for what standards don’t cover: heavy metals, pesticides, and veterinary drugs.
An Invisible Threat
For the lab’s CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. John Fagan, the mission was clear about why to test school lunches.
“To make the invisible, visible,” said Dr. Fagan. “To me it's counterintuitive that anybody would say let's put poisons on our food, but that’s the way our food system is today.”
Our tests revealed unseen, largely unregulated components increasingly connected to everything from attention deficit disorder and liver disease to hormone disruption and cancer.
Samples we collected from schools in Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland included common fare like breadsticks, pizza, potatoes, and fruit.
The Pesticide Problem
The lab identified more than 50 pesticides in our samples, with dozens often layered into one meal.
- 38 different pesticides were detected in just one elementary school lunch
- 23 pesticides were found in a single strawberry cup
- The fungicide, carbendazim, which is banned in most European countries, Brazil and Australia because it is increasingly connected to cancer, infertility, and birth defects, was found in five of our twelve samples
- Glyphosate, a widely used and controversial weed killer, often marketed as Round-Up, and connected to cancer, diabetes, and heart problems, was detected in multiple samples, often in wheat-based products like bread
- Dicamba, a weed killer associated with certain types of cancer, was present in one of our samples
- 2,4D, a weed killer shown to increase the risk of some cancers was found in two of our samples
The full list of pesticides detected in our samples can be found at the bottom of this article.
So, what does all this really mean?
For Dr. John Fagan, the reality is still coming into view.
“We just thought, ‘Oh these kill the bugs, they don’t hurt people,’” he said. “That was our hope, but in fact, that’s not true with any of them.”
We took our results to epidemiologist Dr. Melissa Perry, Dean of the George Mason University School of Public Health. She’s been studying pesticides for decades.
We asked for her reaction to our findings.
“50 pesticides in school lunches, it’s not okay,” Dr. Perry said. “It demonstrates that our regulatory system is not succeeding in ensuring that the food that children eat are free from chemical burden.”
We wanted to know more about what the regulatory agencies are doing when it comes to pesticide exposure for children. The EPA has placed limits on certain pesticide residues, on certain foods. Most of our tests fell below those limits. But scientists like Perry point out that doesn’t necessarily mean they are safe, especially for the developing brains and bodies of children.
“The variety and the volume of chemicals that are being introduced in the market every year makes it practically impossible to evaluate the health effects of each and every chemical,” said Dr. Perry. “We don’t know what it means to be exposed over time at low levels continuously, especially for developing children.”
We also don’t know what happens when a child is exposed to multiple pesticides simultaneously.
But the possible effects are alarming.
In the 1990s, a class of neurotoxic insecticides made their way to the market. They’re now the most popular in the US, called “neonics,” responsible for declining bee populations and a rising concern for human health. We found six of them in our school lunch samples.
“A number of insecticides are manufactured to be neurologically active, and so they are targeting synapses and processes in brain development that can actually be impaired as school-aged children are growing,” said Dr. Perry.
When it comes to understanding the impact on a child’s brain, she told us there is much more work and research to be done.
Heavy Metals
One thing that is well known is that exposure to heavy metals like lead and arsenic is dangerous to a child’s developing brain.
We have long reported on the presence of neurotoxic heavy metals in baby food and toddler snacks.
Now, we’ve found them in school cafeteria food, potentially from a number of sources, ranging from pesticides, soil, processing equipment and even storage.
- Cadmium, a known carcinogen, was detected in our samples at a level 12 times higher than the FDA’s limit for bottled water
- Arsenic was found in rice that was 6 times higher than what’s allowed in apple juice
- Lead, of which there is no safe level, was found in 100% of our samples
“It’s a worrying thing,” said Dr Perry. “I think the first question is the why and the how, and what systems and checkpoints need to be put in place with more guarantee that these neurotoxic heavy metals are not making their way into the food supply of our children.”
The Moms
Zen Honeycutt is the founding Executive Director of Moms Across America, a non-profit representing hundreds of thousands of moms who want safer food served to their kids.
“Other countries around the world have far lower levels of glyphosate, heavy metals and other toxins in their food supply than Americans,” Honeycutt said. “And I simply think we can do better.”
In 2022, the group tested nearly 50 school lunches from 15 states, finding toxins similar to our results and launching a national conversation.
When we showed her our results, Honeycutt told us it was stunning that the government hasn’t undertaken the task of testing and regulating school lunches.
“Myself and so many moms across the country are infuriated that our regulatory agencies are not doing their jobs,” she said.
So she’s made it her mission to force action.
This month, she met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on the same day that Senators held a hearing about school lunches.
New Jersey’s senior Senator, Cory Booker, introduced the Safe School Meals Act, aimed at getting toxins out of school lunches.
“I think it is more of a crisis than most Americans can even begin to realize,” said Booker.
The bill would place limits on heavy metals, ban certain pesticide residues, and require that food additives including artificial dyes linked to health harms would be reassessed. It would also ban the use of PFAS, phthalates, and bisphenols in school meal food packaging and increase funding for schools to purchase safe school meals.
In addition to advocating for school lunch safety, Honeycutt is campaigning to dramatically reduce the use of glyphosate as a drying agent for crops, which would significantly cut down on the amount that reaches our food supply.
Honeycutt says she is acutely aware of the powerful interests she is up against: politicians, agrochemical companies, and globally entrenched systems, but has something powerful on her side, too.
“Oh. The moms are mad,” said Honeycutt. “I would not underestimate the power of moms. And I think that any presidential candidate or elected official or regulatory agency, it would do them good to listen to what the moms are concerned about right now.”
We sent our findings to the FDA and the EPA and asked them for comment and whether the test results would inform any new action on the part of the agencies when it comes to testing school lunches. The FDA did not respond. The EPA's answers to our questions can be found at the bottom of this article.
We also reached out the USDA for comment, and a spokesperson offered this statement:
"The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establish limits, and work together with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to test and monitor contaminants in the food supply and environment, including heavy metals. FSIS regulates meat, poultry, and egg products. The rest of the food supply is regulated by FDA. If levels of contaminants are found to be of public health concern, the regulating agency would take appropriate action to protect public health, which may include a public health advisory, market withdrawal, or recall.
USDA recognizes the importance of school meals and establishes nutrition standards based on the goals of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While the Food and Nutrition Service sets federal standards for the food and nutritional content of school meals, it does not have regulatory authority to establish or enforce rules on contaminants. States or local school districts can set their own requirements if they wish. Even without additional state or local standards, school districts make the decisions on specific products to purchase and may consider local preferences when making these decisions."
List of pesticides detected:
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Spotlight on America posed a number of specific questions to the EPA. Below are the answers we were provided.
1. What is your agency’s reaction to our finding of 50 pesticides in school lunch?
EPA evaluates every new pesticide and every new use for safety before registration. Before they may be sold, EPA must ensure that pesticides are safe for human health and the environment when used according to label directions. For each pesticide, EPA evaluates hundreds of different scientific studies.
Before allowing the use of a pesticide on food crops, EPA sets a maximum legal residue limit (called a tolerance) for each treated food. The tolerance is the residue level that triggers enforcement action. That is, if residues are found above that level, the commodity will be subject to seizure by the government.
In setting the tolerance, EPA must make a safety finding concerning those pesticide residues in food, i.e., EPA must determine that there is a "reasonable certainty that no harm" will result from the exposures to the pesticide. To make this finding, EPA considers the toxicity of the pesticide and its breakdown products, how much of the pesticide is applied and how often, and how much of the pesticide (i.e., the residue) remains in or on food by the time it is marketed. EPA ensures that the tolerance selected will be safe for all, including children and pregnant women. The tolerance applies to food grown in the U.S. and imported food.
EPA receives information on how much pesticide residue remains on various foods through the Pesticide Data Program (PDP). Through annual sampling, PDP has collected thousands of samples on 10-15 food commodities and can detect residues at levels far lower than those that that pose health risks. In 2022, PDP found that nearly 99% of sampled foods had residues below tolerances, meaning that the levels were found to be lower than those that EPA had determined were safe. PDP focuses on sampling commodities that are consumed by infants and children. Learn more about how we set pesticide tolerances for food at https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-tolerances.
2. Do the current MRLs in place for pesticides take into account the vulnerability of developing children’s brains and bodies?
Yes. Under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), EPA must ensure that all pesticides used on food in the United States meet FQPA's stringent safety standard taking into consideration information concerning the potential susceptibility of children to make a determination that a pesticide’s use on food is safe for children. All dietary assessments performed by EPA include evaluations of different age groups, including infants and women of childbearing age, that incorporate data that are specific to each age group, such as consumption data and body weights. These dietary assessments include evaluation of potential pesticide exposures from ingesting food as well as through drinking water. As a result, OPP’s dietary assessments that take into account age-specific data for various age groups, including those that cover developing children, are used to support established MRLs. Additional information can be found at https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-food-quality-protection-act and https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/food-and-pesticides.
3. What science does your agency refer to when considering synthesis dangers between pesticides found in combination on food, especially school lunches?
Pesticide companies, or registrants, must submit a wide variety of scientific studies for review before EPA will set a tolerance, which is required in order for EPA to register the pesticide for use on food. The data are designed to identify:
Possible harmful effects the chemical could have on humans (its toxicity).
The amount of the chemical (or breakdown products) likely to remain in or on food.
Other possible sources of exposures to the pesticide (e.g., through use in homes or other places).
All of this information is used in our risk assessment process. The risk assessment includes consideration of:
The amounts and types of food people eat.
Food consumption by infants and children is specifically considered.
How widely the pesticide is used (that is, how much of the crop is actually treated with the pesticide).
Information on chemistry, toxicity, and exposure.
We use data on what foods people eat and the quantity they eat, collected through the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES). Through these evaluations, we ensure the overall safety of proposed pesticide uses, as required by FQPA.
More information on food consumption data:
National Health and Nutrition Survey
Food Commodity Intake Database
In addition, there must be a practical method for detecting and measuring levels of the pesticide residues so regulatory officials can ensure that any residues are below the level found to be safe.
See the OECD calculator, used in the numerical portion of the tolerance-setting process.
Additional information can be found at https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-tolerances/setting-tolerances-pesticide-residues-foods.
4. Does your agency have the authority to set limits for pesticides, heavy metals and veterinary drugs in school lunches?
Before allowing the use of a pesticide on food crops, we set a tolerance, or maximum residue limit, which is the amount of pesticide residue allowed to remain in or on each treated food commodity. Actual residues are unlikely to exceed this level when a pesticide is applied according to label directions. The tolerance is the residue level that triggers enforcement actions. That is, if residues are found above that level, the commodity will be subject to seizure by the government.
In setting the tolerance, we must make a safety finding that the pesticide can be used with "reasonable certainty of no harm." To make this finding, we consider:
The toxicity of the pesticide and its break-down products.
How much of the pesticide is applied and how often.
How much of the pesticide (i.e., the residue) remains in or on food by the time it is marketed and prepared.
All possible routes of exposure to that pesticide (residues on each crop use, as well as exposure from drinking water and residential exposure).
We perform dietary risk assessments to ensure that all tolerances established for each pesticide are safe. These assessments account for the fact that the diets of infants and children may be quite different from those of adults and that they consume more food for their size than adults. We address these differences by combining survey information on food consumption by infants and children with data on pesticide residues to estimate their exposure from food. We also estimate exposure of other age groups such as women of reproductive age, ethnic groups and regional populations.
We then combine information about pesticide exposure (from food, drinking water and residential uses) to infants, children and other subgroups with information about toxicity to determine potential risks posed by pesticide residues. If risks are unacceptable, we won't approve the tolerances.
The tolerance applies to food imported into this country, as well as to food grown here in the United States. Additional information can be found at https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-tolerances/setting-tolerances-pesticide-residues-foods.
Regulation of heavy metals and veterinary drugs in food is under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While EPA evaluates the pesticides to ensure they are safe for human health and the environment according to label directions, as well as establishes tolerances, FDA is responsible for enforcing these EPA tolerances for domestic foods shipped in interstate commerce and foods offered for import into the U.S., except for meat, poultry, catfish, and certain egg products that are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
5. If yes, will your agency set a limit for glyphosate and other toxins specifically as it pertains to ingestion by children?
Please see responses two and four, which apply to glyphosate and other pesticides.
6. Are there plans to re-evaluate any of these pesticides, given mounting science raising concerns?
2,4D
Dicamba
Carbendazim
Acetamiprid
EPA reviews each registered pesticide at least every 15 years to ensure that each pesticide can carry out its intended function(s) without creating unreasonable adverse effects to human health and the environment. Carbendazim and acetamiprid have completed proposed interim decision and will have interim decisions within the next two years. The interim decision may, among other things, identify if new interim risk mitigation measures to address or reduce risks of concern; identify data or information needed to complete the review; and set in place a process for the submission of updated labels. Dicamba and 2,4-D are scheduled for proposed interim registration review decisions in 2025 and interim decisions in 2026. For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-reevaluation/upcoming-registration-review-actions.
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